CLASSIFIEDS ADVERTISING SPECIAL ISSUES SPORTS CARTOONS OBITUARIES NORTHERN JOBS TENDERS

NNSL Photo/Graphic

Subscriber pages
buttonspacer News Desk
buttonspacer Columnists
buttonspacer Editorial
buttonspacer Readers comment
buttonspacer Tenders

Demo pages
Here's a sample of what only subscribers see

Subscribe now
Subscribe to both hardcopy or internet editions of NNSL publications

Advertising
Our print and online advertising information, including contact detail.
Home page text size buttonsbigger textsmall textText size Email this articleE-mail this page

Nutrition North hasn't fixed what was wrong
NWT News/North & Nunavut News/North - Monday, April 18, 2011

When the federal government announced it was launching a new plan to replace the Food Mail program, many were optimistic, hoping for more affordable nutritious foods in their communities.

Instead, on April 1 the price of many healthful perishable foods dropped by an unimpressive five to seven per cent. Many Northerners are finding the overall cost of their groceries has increased, and many no longer have the option of avoiding local retail prices by ordering their own food from southern stores as paperwork headaches are causing those grocers to opt out of the program in droves.

The old Food Mail program wasn't perfect. The same complaints people had about that program - the lack of transparency on the part of retailers and obstacles to personal orders - continue with Nutrition North.

More research should have been done to explain why prices are so high to begin with and that information should be used to fine tune the Food Mail program.

In Yellowknife, a shopper can pick up four litres of milk for $4.99. During the Food Mail era, Canada Post could ship that four litre jug of milk, weighing approximately four kilograms, for 80 cents per kilogram to Norman Wells. That cost about $3.20 for each jug. That brings the price to about $8.19. Keep in mind the shelf price of milk at a Yellowknife store already includes the mark-up for overhead.

But, shoppers in Norman Wells were paying $13.99 for that jug of milk. What was the reason for that extra $7.79 over and above the shipping cost? Is the cost of doing business in remote stores that high? Answer that question and you'd solve the dilemma of high food prices in the North.

In Norman Wells, that same quantity of milk is now $12.49 under Nutrition North Canada, a modest reduction. Pop and chips are still far more affordable.

Back when Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq was running for Nunavut MP in 2008, she campaigned on changing Food Mail. She told News/North, "Where's the subsidy? I don't see the subsidy. I'll use the pineapple as an example. It's bought for $3.39 or something in Yellowknife. By the time it hits the Taloyoak store, it's a $15 pineapple. So where is the subsidy going and how are the stores using that subsidy? I think they owe us an explanation."

They still do. And we're not getting it from Nutrition North.

Part of the hype of the new system was there would be greater accountability on the part of retailers. We hope that is so, but we have not seen it yet. Stores must be forced to show Northern consumers line-by-line the breakdown of product cost -- base price, shipping cost, stocking and overhead mark-up, and profit - on subsidized items. That information is vital to targeting the cause of high food prices and truly making basic staples affordable.

We asked the North West Company for this breakdown. The company wouldn't tell us, saying it was "competitive information."

Food security is at or near the top of the list of pressing social issues in the NWT, Nunavut and in other locations around the world as, we must also acknowledge, global food prices have been climbing steadily over the past several months.

Yet cheaper -- and less nutritious -- food options can lead to obesity, diabetes, rickets, and increase risk factors for some forms of cancer. The federal government has the choice of either investing in Northern nutrition now or paying more over the long term for our health-care bills.

We need a solution. The fact food prices remain a burden on Northern families is a black mark on the reputation of our nation and no government should allow the problem to persist.


Enforce the law on our streets
Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, April 15, 2011

Belligerent, screaming, intoxicated people hanging outside downtown stores and restaurants are not good for business, nor for this city's image as Tales from the Dump columnist Walt Humphries argues in today's Yellowknifer.

With a nod to the growing exodus of merchants leaving the downtown core, the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce let it be known last week that Western Arctic candidates will have to support its demand for a rehabilitation centre if they want the chamber's backing in the federal election.

The chamber joins Supreme Court Justice John Vertes and the NWT coroner's office in their pleas for a facility to treat the city's homeless addicts.

A rehab centre may be of some help, but what the chamber fails to acknowledge is the proliferation of big box stores in Yellowknife's suburbs as well as online shopping's devastating effect on smaller city merchants, like those who would typically occupy Centre Square Mall - now largely vacant.

It surely wasn't street people that caused the demise of CD Plus last January.

Problems with downtown drunks and assorted hoodlums have been going on for decades - even when our downtown was economically vibrant - and will almost certainly continue for many more.

From Yellowknifer's perspective - and we certainly have one considering how our newsroom faces a problem-plagued portion of 50 Street - the most immediate deficiency appears to be a lack of enforcement, particularly during daylight hours when businesses are open.

Alcohol and drug abuse, fighting, and urinating in the street is something Yellowknifer staff witness through our office windows almost daily.

It's not that there haven't been efforts made. With territorial government funding, the John Howard Society opened a day shelter on 51 Street in November 2009. As well, there's an established addictions counselling program downtown through the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre. Both of these services help, but the constant parade of petty criminality persists in the downtown core.

This newspaper has suggested before that the RCMP should conduct street patrols on foot and open a storefront location on 50 Street. Such a presence would go a long way to curb crime while assuring downtown shoppers and workers of their peace and safety.

It would also be nice to see a revival of the Citizens on Patrol program, where volunteers report crimes to police.

While a residential treatment centre seems logical, hardcore abusers are not likely going to participate unless ordered to by the courts - and most counsellors will tell you that treating someone against their will is extremely difficult, if not futile.

Repeatedly throwing alcoholics in the drunk tank at the RCMP detachment may not sound compassionate, but the alternative is the situation we have on our streets now, and few people are satisfied with that.


Protecting what's important
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, April 14, 2011

While it's probably not in the forefront of most people's minds following the Deh Cho Bridge saga, the health of the grayling run on the Kakisa River is yet another item the bridge could change. Those who have thought about this consequence are the ones closest to it - the people of Kakisa and the group of anglers who fish the run each year.

While it may be hard for non-anglers to imagine, there are apparently a large number of fishers in Yellowknife and the surrounding area who have been eyeing the spring grayling run with covetous eyes. While those farther north are still waiting for the ice to melt off their lakes and rivers, anglers in Kakisa are enjoying free-flowing water and hungry grayling that are eager to bite.

While the grayling are safe this year, the fear is that by next year when the Deh Cho Bridge is open Yellowknife anglers won't think twice about driving five hours to Kakisa to cast a line. More anglers will mean more fish out of the water, which will add further stress to the grayling that are already exhausted from their spawning trip.

Some anglers believe the grayling population and future runs could suffer as a result, thereby damaging a world-class fishing site. What's being done to prevent that from happening is a testament to foresight and to the importance of locally driven initiatives.

While most planners linked to the bridge and fishery regulations probably didn't think of Kakisa River when construction on the bridge began, people in Kakisa and fly fishers did. Both groups are doing their parts to protect something that is important to them.

Kakisa has been using the Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management program (AAROM) to develop and fund a customized program that allows them to track aquatic issues such as pressure from sport anglers.

By using the program, Kakisa has already gathered two years worth of data about which types of fish are being taken out of the Kakisa River and the conditions in the river. This data will be supplemented by the creel count that a group of fly fishers have volunteered to undertake. The count will form a picture of what the grayling run looks like before the bridge opens.

The information gathered between these two initiatives will allow both groups to determine if increased access to the site is having a detrimental effect on the grayling and give them a basis to demand changes to better protect the run.

Kakisa River may prove to be a template for how other Deh Cho communities can use available resources and make partnerships in order to protect valued resources.


Inuvik Works important to community
Editorial Comment
Andrew Livingstone
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, April 14, 2011

Every community needs support programs for its residents. Whether it be support groups for addictions or work placement programs, communities are built around the foundation of being able to provide for their residents.

The sudden closure of the Inuvik Works program last week due to loss of funding, while said to be temporary, will be a blow to those who benefit from it - those who use the program and those who see the benefit.

The program has been running for more than 10 years and has provided support to the community and its residents. Whether it be cleaning up garbage around town or helping with snow removal at an elders home, it was a much-needed service. Not only did it help elders and keep the town clean, it also provided residents - single mothers, low-income families, elders and people with disabilities - with the training or work they needed to live a normal life.

Margaret Gordon, chairperson for the committee overseeing the program, gave the example of one individual in town who benefited from the program. Through training at Inuvik Works, the young man was able to procure employment and become a contributing part of the community - something she said he wouldn't have been able to do otherwise.

Gordon said the Gwich'in Tribal Council, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the town, along with the program committee, are working to restructure Inuvik Works to fit back into funding criteria with the hopes of getting it up and running again by summer. It's this effort to refocus the program that proves how important Inuvik Works is to helping those who are marginalized get the support they need to be a contributing part of society.

By refocusing what Inuvik Works does, it will be more successful and help more people in the community. The loss of funding, while it puts a strain on the already successful program and the people it serves, is almost a blessing in disguise. Reinvention sometimes is needed to keep things fresh.


Running for community support
Editorial Comment
Andrew Livingstone
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, April 14, 2011

Huge congratulations are in order for the organizers, volunteers and runners who helped raise more than $20,000 for the Inuvik Homeless Shelter this past week.

Ultra marathon runner Alicja Barahona completed a 370 kilometre run from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk and back, getting into Inuvik on Sunday at 4 p.m. with about a dozen local runners who completed the final 30 kilometres with her.

The effort that went into raising the money goes to show how dedicated people in the community are to making Inuvik a better place for everyone. It's these kinds of events that show how passionate people are about this town and what they are willing to do to improve the overall quality of life for those who might be falling through the cracks. Kudos to all involved!


Animal hospital abuse
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Great Slave Animal Hospital is in no enviable position. As the only veterinary clinic in Yellowknife it takes its share of abuse, often from people who are emotionally distressed about the health or whereabouts of their beloved pets.

It is also the dumping ground of countless lost dogs and cats, many in desperate need of a home. The hospital adopted out 158 dogs and cats in 2009 alone.

Faced with these stresses, it's not surprising that trouble arises occasionally, whether it be over a dog turned in to the pound and adopted out without the owner being aware, or complaints over expensive veterinary bills.

Residents should take the animal hospital's plight into consideration before judging it too harshly. Many pet owners in the North are not so fortunate to have a 24-hour veterinary service in their community that also takes in strays and unwanted pets and find them new homes.

At the same time, vet clinic staff should realize that forcing unhappy and vocal pet owners to make public apologies, as dog owner Jocelyn Christensen-Blondin had to do to get her dog back, does little to engender public sympathy. In any event, a wise policy was borne out of that situation. Now, the hospital instructs staff to tell people to come and check the pound themselves rather than trying to verify the status of missing pets over the phone.

It's a welcome part in the evolution of this invaluable service to the city.


More forethought, more input
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Though public turnout was modest, the two recent town hall meetings councillor Paul Falvo organized to discuss next year's budget are a promising step towards better money management.

Last fall, three councillors - Falvo, David Wind and Cory Vanthuyne - bemoaned the city's inability to shave a single dollar off its expenses, while property taxes continue to rise.

They were then chided by Coun. Mark Heyck for not bringing up concerns over spending earlier in the year.

Traditionally there have not been sessions for public input into the budget before the grinding process of reviewing the document prior to the vote.

Though there was not much of a turnout for the two public sessions - no one came to the session on March 7, while eight people attended the meeting on April 4 - these talks at least get councillors thinking about the budget earlier in the year.

More Yellowknifers should step up and attend these meetings as the more public input that's provided, the better council will understand residents' priorities.

With property taxes having risen for several straight years, these town hall budget talks are an ideal venue for people in Yellowknife to let their elected officials know the best places to put their tax dollars.


Digging out roots and the ghosts of Liberals past
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, April 13, 2011Wednesday, April 13, 2011

If there's anyone who wasn't surprised by the choice of former Nunavut premier Paul Okalik as the Liberal's territorial candidate for the federal election on May 2, I haven't talked with them.

And, many people I did speak to about Okalik's candidacy seemed to think this was not a good choice by the Liberal party.

We'll see soon enough, but I wouldn't be too quick to write Okalik off.

NDP candidate Jack Hicks showed his social background when he almost immediately announced he wasn't running against Leona Aglukkaq, the person.

Hicks, apparently, is running against a Tory majority, which he sees as a severe threat to the North.

It was a politically correct way of starting his campaign, and an attempt at winning Inuit votes by implying what a good person Aglukkaq is, but we'll see if that approach produces any results.

Green Party candidate Scott MacCallum is also in the race for the Nunavut seat, but, pitted against Aglukkaq, Okalik and Hicks, will have to run the campaign of the century to come out on top.

Okalik may not be too outspoken against Aglukkaq, as attack campaigns are rare in Nunavut.

In fact, the last time some true political sparks flew in the territory was when Manitok Thompson ran as an independent in 2004 and threw a few zingers incumbent Nancy Karetak-Lindell's way.

It may have been Nunavut's version of Manny just being Manny, but the aggressive campaign had her finish second to Karetak-Lindell and the Liberal party, which was no small feat for an independent candidate.

What makes this election interesting is that Nunavut, historically, has deep Liberal roots that stretch back to the heyday of Jack Anawak.

And, while Okalik does face an uphill battle to defeat Aglukkaq, frustration with the Tories on a number of issues may have those roots showing once again.

Now, let's be brutally honest here.

Okalik has let his tongue get ahead of his brain on more than one occasion in the past, landing him in political hot water.

And he sometimes falls victim to wishful thinking, rather than accepting reality when it comes to the current capabilities of Nunavut and its homegrown talent.

But he, among all the candidates, seems to have the best grasp of just how important it is for Nunavut to pour as many resources into education as it can find, beg, borrow and scrape together. And say what you will about the Liberal candidate, but Okalik is nobody's puppet.

Should he ever represent Nunavut at the federal level, you can rest assured he would pursue the territory's interests relentlessly.

It remains to be seen if Okalik has enough political fire left in his belly to run an effective enough campaign to defeat such a strong candidate as Aglukkaq.

Perhaps one of the biggest hurdles he and Hicks face is the fear Nunavut would be left in the cold should it go Liberal or NDP and the Tories win by a majority.

With the odds being better than average of the Baffin vote being split, a strong showing in the Kivalliq could be key to success in this election. And the Kivalliq just happens to be home to many of the ghosts of Liberals past.

E-mailWe welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.